Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Cuts Stock Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. decreased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 348,343 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,887 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for about 1.2% of Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $31,473,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at $43,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Price Performance

NYSE:WMT opened at $87.56 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $701.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.33, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $95.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $89.19. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $58.56 and a 1 year high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. Equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.07%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is 39.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on WMT. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Walmart from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 21st. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 target price (up from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Truist Financial raised their price target on Walmart from $98.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.17.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total value of $166,384.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 423,597 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $44,049,852.03. This trade represents a 0.38 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.35, for a total transaction of $2,689,601.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,785,702 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $349,609,579.70. This trade represents a 0.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 189,777 shares of company stock worth $18,001,116. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications.